Interesting Developments in the Balkans – Starting yesterday, March 5th, 2024, citizens of the Republic of Serbia can create their Open Balkans ID (“OB ID“) through the e-Government portal, which is a prerequisite for applying for free access to the labor market in North Macedonia or Albania. Specifically, Open Balkans is a regional initiative of the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Albania, and the Republic of North Macedonia aimed at increasing trade and cooperation, among other things, by creating a unified labor market within the territories of these three countries. The Agreement on Conditions for Free Access to the Labor Market in the Western Balkans was signed in Tirana in December 2021.
What does a unified labor market mean? This means that citizens of Serbia will be able to work in North Macedonia or Albania without administrative or other obstacles, and without the need for residency or work permits. The same applies to citizens of North Macedonia and Albania in Serbia.
How? Citizens of Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia who wish to work in one of the Open Balkans member states should have an OB ID created electronically, with the condition of having an electronic identity on their national e-Government Portal beforehand. After that, the citizen accesses the e-Government portal of the country where they intend to work and submits an application for free access to the labor market. The destination country is the one that makes the final decision after verification, within 30 days from the date of application submission. Upon obtaining approval, the interested citizen can be employed under the same conditions as a citizen of that country, for up to two years. After this period, the approval can be further extended, and it will also serve as a residence and work permit.
What is the goal? To enhance the regional business environment – improve conditions for both domestic and foreign companies and increase investment inflows into the country. Additionally, this should help address the issue of labor shortages, both in Serbia and in the region.
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